4 budget free agents Yankees need to sign in 2021

2. Asdrubal Cabrera

Asdrubal Cabrera would be a massive upgrade for the Yankees over, say, Jordy Mercer (sorry, Jordy).

The Yankees believe their infield is overstuffed entering 2021? That’s cute.

That was theoretically the case in 2020, too, with Gleyber Torres, Gio Urshela, Luke Voit, Mike Ford and DJ LeMahieu taking the bulk of the playing time. Of course, we saw far too much Thairo Estrada, Tyler Wade and Jordy Mercer, and not by choice.

The Yankees’ bench cannot include all light-hitting true backup options in 2021. The bench has to be part of the roster construction, not simply a stash for some 40-man players the organization somewhat believes in.

All Asdrubal Cabrera does is win and contribute, for what it’s worth, working his way into Washington’s playoff rotation before their 2019 World Series run and hitting .323 down the stretch. Cabrera is a .260-ish hitter with moderate pop, and at age 34, he’s perfectly suited for one-year deals on contenders for several more seasons.

If the Yankees can’t figure out a way to budget for a player like Cabrera, then it’s time to take the keys away from this ownership group. These are the players contention is usually based upon.